


Fate Wrapped Around A Finger

by PrincessAmonRae



Category: due South
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Episode Related, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24315568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessAmonRae/pseuds/PrincessAmonRae
Summary: Red strings of fate will lead you on the path of life that will lead to your soulmate, though you will never know consciously what is happening.Some people have more than one red string, some people have none, but the majority of people only have one throughout their whole livesAnd it is always the red string of fate that leads the way.
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47





	Fate Wrapped Around A Finger

A person can have plenty of soulmate strings; green knots of platonic love can line one’s forefingers on either hand, blue knots of familial can line one’s middle fingers on either hand. One’s ring fingers may contain knots of an odd grey colour for other brief, but poignant soulmates, though these strings are incredibly rare. 

But the pinkie finger on the right is special. The base of the pinkie finger on the right is where the red string of romantic soulmates tie themselves upon the first meeting of the intended parties. Red strings of fate are special, unlike the other soulmate strings that tie themselves as the bond is formed between soulmates either instantly or slowly. Red strings of fate will lead you on the path of life that will lead to your soulmate, though you will never know consciously what is happening. 

Some people have more than one red string, some people have none, but the majority of people only have one throughout their whole lives 

And it is always the red string of fate that leads the way. 

* * *

It’s only after Ray drops him off at the consulate that Ben realizes why he feels a bit odd, and places the odd feeling to be the bone deep contentment ringing throughout his bones. 

He frowns because it doesn’t make sense. He shouldn’t be feeling content not with the day he’s had; returning to find Ray Vecchio missing, his house burned to cinders, trying to make sure that he hadn’t stepped into some version of alternate reality, Greta Garbo and this new Ray. 

But there is no mistaking it, it’s contentment now thrumming through his veins. Ben frowns again and move his hands towards the buttons of his serge when he feels it. 

There is a knot at the base of his right pinkie finger. His red string of a romantic soulmate has tied itself, binding him and his soulmate together. Ben sits down heavily in shocked awe as he reaches over to gently feel the knot and as it thrums under his finger, he knows exactly who he is attached to. 

Ray is his soulmate. 

And for quite possibly the first time in his life, Benton Fraser has no idea what to do. 

* * *

Ben discovers his soulmate’s real name in a crypt, that and the fact that this soulmate thing is decidedly one sided considering the way that Ray is talking about Stella. 

One sided soulmate strings are rare, but not unheard of and Ben is only slightly surprised to discover that he is one of the unlikely few. 

Ray and Stella’s story sounds like something out of a movie; childhood soulmates except for the divorce that ended that story. It’s another rare, but not unheard of thing for soulmates to divorce and the pain in his voice when Ray mentions it makes Ben ache in sympathy for him. 

But there is still a small, tiny, miniscule part of Ben’s heart that perks up in hope at Ray’s odd hypothetical. 

_Do you find me attractive?_

_Very much so, yes._

Because it’s true. Ray attracts Ben’s curiosity as he wonders what kind of man his partner is, attracts Ben’s mind because he seems just a quick witted if not more so than Ray Vecchio, attracts Ben’s eyes because Ray is in fact physically attractive as well. 

Ben still vows to himself that he won’t breathe a word to Ray, because Ray would not appreciate the revelation. 

* * *

Ben is doubly glad for his silence when the fiasco with Alderman Orsini happens. The way Ray acts could be described as erratic at best and recklessly stupid at worst. Ben does his best to send comfort and steadiness down the string, unsure if Ray can really feel it, but it eases the ache in Ben’s heart to think that he does. 

But they work together in the end to save Stella and bring down Alderman Orsini and after Ben almost thinks that Ray seems steadier than he ever was before. He smiles to himself and sends pride shooting down their string, feeling joy when Ray’s shoulders straighten even more. 

Suddenly Ben doesn’t care that this is one sided, because just like with Volpe, he can be here for Ray no matter what. To keep him safe and help him stand tall. 

* * *

“I went and saw a shrink,” Ray says out of nowhere in the middle of a very late stakeout. Ben blinks at him in surprise. 

“You did?” It’s the first response he can think of because Ray Kowalski is not the kind of person to see a psychiatrist willingly. Ray shrugs. 

“Not like a shrink shrink, one of those string seers. Just after Stella and Orsini- I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t killing her like it was me,” Ray says and a tiny icicle of worry lodges in Ben’s heart. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Stella and me, we aren’t soulmates.” Physically Ben manages to keep a straight face, but internally he is reeling from Ray’s flat pronouncement. “I thought that we were, told myself that was the reason I chased after her. Stella can’t feel her knots, so I never knew any better.” 

Not feeling knots is another thing that is rare, but not unheard of. Some people can even see them, and those people usually go into a counselling of some kind. 

“Shrink couldn’t even tell if Stella was one of my knots. I messed everything up when I created a- whatsit called when they give you a sugar pill?” 

“Placebo,” Ben says weakly in sympathy as Ray nods. 

“Yeah placebo soulbond with her for myself.” Ray’s face twists up into a self-deprecating smile. “Probably a whole new colour of string around my thumb or something.” 

“I’m so sorry Ray,” Ben says and smooths comfort and empathy down their string before taking a deep breath. “I once mistook a grey knot for a red knot to disastrous consequences.” 

“Victoria Metcalf,” Ray guesses and Ben nods, knowing full well that Ray has read the file, but tells him the whole sordid tale anyway. 

“It was an honest mistake Frase,” Ray says when he finishes. 

“I deluded myself,” Ben says bitterly, and Ray reaches out and claps him on the shoulder. 

“We both did. And you don’t fault me for my delusions, so I don’t fault you.” And as Ben nods his head at Ray, he thinks that he would have loved Ray even without the soul string between them. But maybe the string is mostly a formality anyway, leading you to where you needed to be to fall in love and tying itself so that you didn’t move from where you were supposed to be. 

* * *

Except there is something that Ben didn’t consider about not telling Ray about the string, the fact that eventually Ray would realize that he was keeping a secret. He’s much too good a detective to not realize and sure enough after a while their duet doesn’t sound so harmonious. 

They snipe at each other, bicker and in some cases fight. Their sniping, bickering, and fighting is getting more and more pointed and bitter every time. 

The moment Ray’s fist snaps out makes it very clear that this is a whole new level of fight and despite how much it kills him to do it, Ben walks away. He loves Ray, but that doesn’t mean that he is deluded enough to think that they can talk about it right now, doesn’t mean that he’ll stay. 

Or so he thinks until Inspector Thatcher presents him with a transfer opportunity and his internal organs rearrange themselves at the realization that if he accepts, he will have to leave Ray. 

Ray has a transfer opportunity of his own, which makes Ben’s organs rearrange themselves again, and they both stubbornly agree that Ben will punch Ray back to make them even and then take their respective transfers. Ben wonders if Ray can feel his desperation that he doesn’t think he can do this, if Ray can feel that this separation will probably drive him insane, if Ray can feel the fact that Ben can’t breathe. 

But Ben also can’t impose where he is not wanted and if Ray wants him to go then he will. 

Their red string of fate must have something to say about the fact that they are somehow going to walk away from each other because just as they have climbed back in the car a body of a pirate falls almost literally in their laps. 

* * *

Ben knows that now he is going to have to come clean, now that he and Ray have found their footing again with this partnership. Now that Ben has scrambled all over a sinking ship, flexing his right pinkie finger as tightly as physically possible so that he could feel every quiver, to find Ray. Now that Ben has bastardized the standard procedure of buddy breathing to keep Ray from drowning. 

He falls into parade rest on autopilot as Ray showers in their shared Sault Ste. Marie hotel room; they had both been too tired to even attempt to drive back to Chicago and Ben had secret intentions of keeping a careful eye on Ray for signs of pneumonia. 

“Fraser you do know that the Ice Queen isn’t here right?” Ray says with a wry grin as he exits the bathroom. 

“Well yes.” He readjusts with a small grin of his own. “Forgive me I was woolgathering.” 

“Is that Canadian for ‘I’m thinking we need to talk’?” Ray asks as he sits on the bed closest to the wall. 

“Yes,” Ben says and opens his mouth to discover that he has no idea where to start. “Ray I have something to tell you.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yes. That is-- I have a soulmate. A romantic soulmate. And well—” Ben stumbles over his words until his is cut off by a sharp and pointed yank on the string attached to his pinkie. He gapes down at his hand in shock before he looks up at Ray who is clenching his right hand into a tight fist with a wild grin on his face. 

“It’s me,” Ray finishes and Ben nods. “You’ve known since day one.” Ben nods again. 

“I was under the impression that this was a one sided bond due to your lack of reaction,” Ben says and feels a fierce wave of emotion spill down the string and it is so powerfully intense that Ben waves on his feet slightly. 

“I didn’t realize it was you. Thought it was some leftovers from Stella until I saw that string seer. She told me that I wasn’t bonded to Stella, never had been but that my string was knotted.” Ray looks up at Ben like he is looking for something, but since Ben is sure that he just looks how he is feeling, which is poleaxed with shock, he doesn’t think that Ray finds it. “So then I thought to myself, ‘Well Ray who do you know that you have met in recent months that makes you feel like you are the person you’re meant to be?’ And that answer was easy which was lucky because I was already in love with you.” 

“Ray,” Ben says and lurches forward a few steps as his heart overfills with the hope that has been bubbling up before a slight strain of trepidation makes him stop dead. 

“But then I thought to myself, ‘Your Mountie buddy is the smartest person you know so he’s definitely figured it out and hasn’t said anything which means he must not want you.” Ben lunges the few feet that still separates them, tackling Ray flat onto his back and covering his lips with his own as he tries to pour every ounce of his love and longing that has been building up into the kiss. 

“God Ray of course I want you. I love you and I want you so intensely, so desperately that I feared I would fall apart from it,” Ben breathes as he reaches up to smooth his shaking fingers over Ray’s face reverently. Ray’s face is soft and loving and he catches Ben’s right hand in his and slowly presses a kiss to the knot of the soulmate string. 

Ben gasps as pieces of the world that he hadn’t even realized were out of place slot into the spots they belong. His internal compass re-orientates itself, his true north is Ray now, as is his gravity. 

“Hey Ben, it’s okay,” Ray murmurs and reaches up to thumb away the tears of wonder that have begun spilling down his cheeks. Ben shakes his head and bends down to kiss Ray deeply. 

“Allow me to show you,” Ben says as soon as they separate and pulls Ray’s right hand up to his lips to return the favour to Ray. 

“Jesus Ben,” Ray gasps and then moves his hands to Ben’s hair. “How long are you planning on loving me for?” 

“I had thought that we could start with the rest of our lives,” Ben murmurs into the pulse point at Ray’s wrist and lays a few delicate kisses there to punctuate his words. 

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Ray says with a wicked grin before pulling him into another kiss. And for the first time in his life Benton Fraser know what true happiness feels like.

**Author's Note:**

> Please Send Help I can't stop writing Due South Fics lol.


End file.
